内容简介

何为“城”？

中国最早的“城”出现于何时？

为什么说作为圈围设施的“城”不限于城墙？

城池为何而建，如何兴建？

“大都无城”体现了怎样的文化自信？

……

人类从穴居到走向开阔地带，再到筑城而居，城垣从无到有又消失，历史上象征着文明的每一步，伟大而深刻，没有比“城”更有烟火味道，更能给人以认同感和归属感了。有关中国历史上城池、城邑、城郭的变迁，无疑是一个让人感兴趣的主题。

作者的视角从距今9000年的中国最初的城池问世开始，下及秦汉帝国的城市体系，直至明清两代，分为16章，通过历代城池的营建和使用，一窥中国古代文明的兴起与繁盛；并和读者一起，探寻自然与社会中的古人行为，梳理中国早期城市、国家和文明的发展轨迹，进而对中国“大历史”有更明晰的把握，对于我们深刻理解华夏文明的起源与发展，具有重要的现实意义和学术意义。

全书体量不大，但视野宏阔，9万余字，配有130多幅图片，图文互读，深入浅出。

作者简介

许宏，考古学者、作家，中国社会科学院研究员。主要从事中国早期城市、早期国家与早期文明的考古研究。

许宏受业于著名考古学家徐苹芳教授，博士论文的选题即为中国早期城市考古。他博士毕业后在偃师商城和二里头两处重要的古代城市遗址参与和主持发掘工作，田野考古取得诸多重大成果，曾担任二里头考古队队长二十年。他关于中国古代城市考古的论著有《先秦城市考古学研究》《先秦城邑考古》《大都无城》《踏墟寻城》等数种，均颇具学术分量，具有广泛的学术影响。如是学术基础，加之多年致力于公众考古，使得许宏再出新作《城的中国史》——一部关于中国古代城市考古的通识读本。这是他用深厚的学术功底和晓畅通俗的文笔搭建起的学界与公众之间的桥梁，也是他三十余年从事中国古代城市考古的一个结晶。

许宏在河南文艺出版社已出版《溯源中国》（“中华文脉”丛书）、《许宏的考古“方”》（获2022年度“最美的书”）、《聊聊考古那些事儿》等6本书，保持了多年的愉快合作。

Content introduction

What is a "city"?

When did the earliest "city" appear in China?

Why is the "city" as a perimeter facility not limited to the wall?

Why and how were cities built?

What kind of cultural confidence does "Great Metropolitandom" embody?

...

Human beings from caves to open areas, and then to build cities, city walls from nothing to disappear, history symbolizes every step of civilization, great and profound, nothing is more than "city" has the flavor of fireworks, more can give people a sense of identity and belonging. The change of cities, towns and cities in Chinese history is undoubtedly a subject of great interest.

The author's perspective is divided into 16 chapters from the appearance of the first cities in China 9000 years ago to the urban system of the Qin and Han Empires until the Ming and Qing dynasties. Through the construction and use of the cities in successive dynasties, the author gives a glimpse of the rise and prosperity of ancient Chinese civilization. Together with the readers, we explore the ancient behavior in nature and society, sort out the development track of early Chinese cities, countries and civilizations, and then have a clearer grasp of China's "big history", which has important practical and academic significance for our deep understanding of the origin and development of Chinese civilization.

The volume of the book is not large, but the vision is broad, more than 90,000 words, with more than 130 pictures, text and text read each other, profound and simple.

About the author

Xu Hong is an archaeologist, writer and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is mainly engaged in the archaeological research of early Chinese cities, early states and early civilizations.

Xu Hong studied under Professor Xu Pingfang, a famous archaeologist, and the topic of his doctoral thesis was early urban archaeology in China. After his doctoral degree, he participated in and presided over the excavation of two important ancient city sites in Yanshi Mall and Erlitou, and achieved many major achievements in field archaeology. He served as the leader of the archaeological team in Erlitou for 20 years. His works on the archaeology of ancient Chinese cities include Research on the Archaeology of Pre-Qin Cities, Archaeology of Pre-Qin Cities, Dadu Without a City, Exploring a City in the Ruins, etc., all of which have considerable academic weight and extensive academic influence. This academic foundation, coupled with years of dedication to public archaeology, has led Xu Hong to write a new work, The History of China in the City, a comprehensive book on the archaeology of ancient Chinese cities. This is a bridge between the academic community and the public built by his profound academic skills and clear and popular writing, and is also a crystallization of his more than 30 years of engaging in ancient Chinese urban archaeology.

Xu Hong has published six books in Henan Literature and Art Publishing House, including "Tracing to China" (" Chinese Context "series)," Xu Hong's Archaeological "(" The most beautiful Book" in 2022), and "Talk about Archaeological Things", and has maintained a happy cooperation for many years.